A driver killed a puma after hitting it on the section of Route 11 that connects Carilo with Villa Gesellin the Atlantic Coast. The animal’s body was found during the night of Wednesday, and authorities revealed that The perpetrator did not stop at the scene after running over him.
As they explained, the appearance of the animal is not something abnormal for the region, although it would be a surprise to see one in the city, as happened in 2022, when one was seen through security cameras of the Geseline municipality. Furthermore, the law establishes that if wildlife animals whose capture is prohibited are hunted, a crime is committed that carries a prison sentence of up to 2 years. In case of other violations, different sanctions may be applied: fine, suspension or cancellation of the hunting license, confiscation of the hunting proceeds or seizure of the weapons that were used.
The feline was found just one kilometer before the roundabout at the entrance to Villa Gesell, and they reported that It was a male that measured 1.60m from head to tail, and 1.1m at the height of the hips.. Likewise, personnel from the Directorate of Fauna and Flora of the province of Buenos Aires will perform an autopsy to confirm additional details about its condition.
As for the reasons why the puma could have been near the route, experts are analyzing the hypothesis that it was being chased by hunters, exploring the place, or even scared by human activity in the area.
How to act in the presence of wildlife: statements from experts
Alan Kaminskia specialist in ethology and zoology at the Zoonoses Directorate of Villa Gesell, ruled out that the animal had been hunted and confirmed that the cause of death was due to being hit by a vehicle. Likewise, he recommended a series of steps in the event that a person comes across such a specimen.
“If I find it, I shouldn’t run, I don’t turn my back and maintain eye contact.. If I am with children, I take them in my arms; If I’m with dogs, I put them on a leash. Without turning my back on him, I back away slowly. Now, if the specimen begins to approach with intentions of contact, whether to attack me or for another reason, I must start screaming and moving your arms to appear larger. In an extreme scenario, where the animal shows signs of imminent attack, it is necessary to defend itself, even throwing stones if necessary,” he told the outlet. Infobae.
The expert stressed that it is very important to remain calm, although he also warned that the meeting is unlikely: “There are no official statistics, but In 100 years, only two puma attacks on people have been recorded. The puma has a bad reputation; In fact, is much more harassed by humans than they harass us“.
On the other hand, he referred to the impact that the conversion of Route 11 into a highway will have on the section between Villa Gesell and Mar Chiquita, putting wildlife at risk: “This is going to generate an increase in accidents”. And he added: “The pumas are living with the fragmentation that is taking place. When we talk about fragmentation we are referring to real estate and agricultural development, which increasingly occupies more ecological niches where this species moves.”
The puma, mountain lion or American lion is a carnivorous mammal of the Felidae family native to America, which lives from the Yukon, in Canada, to the south of the Andes mountain range and Patagonia in South America.
It is the second largest feline on the American continentafter the jaguar, and the fourth largest in the world, after the tiger and the lion. Its size is somewhat larger than that of the leopard, although it is more related to small cats, since, unlike the large cats of the Panthera genus, which can roar, the puma purrs like smaller cats.
Man should not fear an attack from a Puma, unless he feels attacked. Its main food is deer, particularly in the northern part, but it also hunts guanacos, insects and rodents.
Source: Ambito
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